Dehydrated - Poop help

[Mkb123]

I've had my Jacksons for a few weeks now and his urates have always been kinda orange despite me misting 3-4 times a day for 4-5 mins. He always has a dripper doing and he usually drinks for me and I caught him drinking from the dripper a few times, I don't understand why his urates are still orange,I thought it was getting better but he just pooped and it's not. what should I do? He's a great eater and he's pretty active, his eyes aren't sunken and he has good color. He's in a reptibreeze medium for now and he's alittle over a year old

 

[Mkb123]

I also want to add that this is his first poo in a couple days which also worried me. I change up his diet about every week for variety and this week he's been eating small dubias and superworms. Both gutloaded

 

[JacksJill]

Are you able to measure and maintain good humidity in the 60-80% range? These guys will dehydrate from low humidity or excess heat. If you don't have live plants adding them can help a lot. I add an extra misting when the AC or heat is running to compensate for the drying effects. Feeders like hornworms can add so extra moisture to their diet.
We might spot the problem sooner if you fill out the how to ask for help form https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/ copy paste and insert your answers.

 

[Mkb123]

• Your Chameleon - He is a male Jacksons chameleon and I've had him for alittle over a month
• Handling - Once a week or every other week

• Feeding - Superworms and dubia roaches
• Supplements - I've been dusting his bugs with repti calcium and I have repti vit with d3 That I give once a month
• Watering - I have a little dripper and a squirt bottle to mist. I mist until the bottle is empty so about 4-5 mins per misting. I'm saving up for a mistking
• Fecal Description - as shown in photo
• History - I haven't had him long, I got him at repticon, he's a good eater and seems fine other than these poops

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - He's got a medium reptibreeze screen cage. Planning to upgrade him in the future
• Lighting - He has a zoo med double light
• Temperature - His basking spot is around 80 and as it goes lower it goes down no lower than 70 with the light on. I have a thermometer in there.
• Humidity - using mist and dripper. I broke the thermometer on accident and I need to get another but before it broke it was about 75% after misting
• Plants- He has a golden umbrella tree in organic soil
• Placement - his cage is in the corner of my room on top of his drainage system. Probably about 3-4 feet off the ground
• Location- Georgia, USA

 

[Mkb123]

Are you able to measure and maintain good humidity in the 60-80% range? These guys will dehydrate from low humidity or excess heat. If you don't have live plants adding them can help a lot. I add an extra misting when the AC or heat is running to compensate for the drying effects. Feeders like hornworms can add so extra moisture to their diet.
We might spot the problem sooner if you fill out the how to ask for help form https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/ copy paste and insert your answers.

last time I was able to check the humidity was good. I live in a very humid area. His cage is below the vent in my room, could this be causing him problems ? I thought it would be good since I read Jacksons need a temperature drop and night and my house stays around 68-69 degrees. I was planning on feeding some crickets and hornworms next week so I hope that will help

 

[Mkb123]

last time I was able to check the humidity was good. I live in a very humid area. His cage is below the vent in my room, could this be causing him problems ? I thought it would be good since I read Jacksons need a temperature drop and night and my house stays around 68-69 degrees. I was planning on feeding some crickets and hornworms next week so I hope that will help

Also currently I have a fogger for humidity but I haven't been using it because it scared the mess out of my cham, I'm planning on returning it and putting the money towards a misting system

 

[Rogue]

last time I was able to check the humidity was good. I live in a very humid area. His cage is below the vent in my room, could this be causing him problems ? I thought it would be good since I read Jacksons need a temperature drop and night and my house stays around 68-69 degrees. I was planning on feeding some crickets and hornworms next week so I hope that will help

Is the vent near his cage closed off?

 

[Mkb123]

Is the vent near his cage closed off?

No but it is angled towords the center of the room so you can feel the air around where my bed is but you can't feel airflow where the cage is. If it's a problem though I'm moving in less than a week and can find him a better spot in my appartment

 

[JacksJill]

My air conditioning steals the humidity from my house. Get a good digital hygrometer. One with a temperature gauge is only about 10 bucks on Amazon. I have two in different zones of my cage for better monitoring.
https://smile.amazon.com/Pawliss-Di...rd_wg=FH7Bo&psc=1&refRID=DFY5MD0QC89W1WDP1ZEA
Montane species like Jackson's need higher humidity a misting system is invaluable. Once you get one you will never know how you managed with out it.
Here is the care sheet https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/ so you can see what you need.

 

[JacksJill]

You can also wrap 2-3 sides of your cage with plastic to retain the humidity.

 

[Mkb123]

You can also wrap 2-3 sides of your cage with plastic to retain the humidity.

Thank you very much I will wrap it for sure and I just ordered the new thermometer

 

[Andee]

What kind of squirt bottle do you have? Like one you have squeeze or a hand pump one that you pump up and the just press the realease handle and it mists? You may want to invest in the second, it costs like $10.00 for one that lasts 1+ years, and it will be a better investment that the squirt ones, until you can get a mistking ^^

 

[Mkb123]

What kind of squirt bottle do you have? Like one you have squeeze or a hand pump one that you pump up and the just press the realease handle and it mists? You may want to invest in the second, it costs like $10.00 for one that lasts 1+ years, and it will be a better investment that the squirt ones, until you can get a mistking ^^

I have a squeeze one currently, I will definitely look into a pump one

 

[Rogue]

What kind of squirt bottle do you have? Like one you have squeeze or a hand pump one that you pump up and the just press the realease handle and it mists? You may want to invest in the second, it costs like $10.00 for one that lasts 1+ years, and it will be a better investment that the squirt ones, until you can get a mistking ^^

and the pump misters are super inexpensive in any gardening section of a hardware store or even Family Dollar stores. MUCH cheaper than buying the tiny ones they sell at the pet stores and imo, work better.